honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Wednesday, January 29, 2003

Former prisons chief now warden

Advertiser Staff

Former state Public Safety Director Ted Sakai this week took over as warden of O'ahu Community Correctional Center.

Despite different Public Safety administrative assignments over the past eight years, Sakai, 56, said his official position has been warden of OCCC.

"I became warden in 1995 but (the directors) asked me to do other things," said Sakai, who is in his 23rd year with the department. "This is a very, very challenging job and I'm looking forward to it because it gives me a different look at the system."

During the Cayetano administration, Sakai served as public safety director from 1998 to 2002, succeeding Keith Kaneshiro. With Sakai's return, warden Clayton Frank moved from OCCC to the Waiawa Correctional Facility.

Meanwhile, the warden of Halawa Correctional Facility said officials are awaiting the results of coroner findings on the deaths of two inmates at the prison.

"It's unusual that two deaths occur around the same time, but we've had to deal with inmate deaths before from natural causes," said warden Nolan Espinda.

Kennard Montez, 39, died at 5:18 a.m. Saturday at Pali Momi Medical Center after he was found in his cell having difficulty breathing, Espinda said. Montez had been previously diagnosed with a brain tumor, according to Espinda.

Ronald Gerard, 47, was found hanged in his room at 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Prison officials say Gerard used bedsheets to hang himself. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Espinda said.

Espinda said the two inmates were housed in different parts of the correctional facility: Montez in the special needs facility which deals with inmates with mental health problems or who are under protective custody, and Gerard among the general inmate population in the medium-security area.

Espinda said Gerard was not under a suicide watch.

State public safety officials are conducting investigations into each death.